Method for Cell Switching in Wireless Communication Systems

1. A method of cell switching by mobile equipment of a wireless communication system, the method comprising the step of: transmitting, by the mobile, coded information that indicate the mobile's intent to switch from its serving system equipment to a target system equipment identified by the coded information that contains channel measurement adjustment information for the serving system equipment, the coded information comprising a signal containing formatted information forming a frame divided into substantially equal slots with at least one slot containing information identifying the particular target system equipment, at least another slot containing C/I information for the serving system equipment and further slots containing channel measurement adjustment information for the serving system equipment.

2. The method of claim 1 where the information is transmitted over a reverse link signaling channel of a cell in which the system equipment is located.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of: waiting for an acknowledgement signal from the serving system equipment; and completing the cell switching with the serving system equipment and the target system equipment.

4. The method of claim 1 where the coded information is a signal to which a spreading code is applied which signal contains formatted information having channel measurement adjustment information for the serving system equipment where either the spreading code or at least a portion of the formatted information identifies the particular target system equipment.

5. The method of claim 4 where the spreading code is a null code.

6. The method of claim 5 where the null code is a cover code defined by a lx-EVDV CDMA system and where the formatted information is a 20 millisecond framed divided into 16 substantially equal time slots one of which contains C/I information of a forward channel of the serving system equipment, three of which contain information identifying the target system equipment and twelve of which contain channel measurement adjustment information for the serving system equipment.

7. The method of claim 4 where the spreading code is a cover code.

8. The method of claim 7 where the cover code identifies the target system equipment and the formatted information is a 20 millisecond frame divided into 16 substantially equal time slots 15 of which contain channel measurement adjustment information for the serving system equipment and one of which contains C/I information for the serving system equipment.

9. The method of claim 1 where the coded information is a signal containing formatted information that identify the particular target system equipment and said formatted information also contains channel measurement adjustment information for the serving system equipment.

10. The method of claim 9 where the formatted information is a 20 millisecond framed divided into 16 substantially equal slots three of which contain information identifying the target system equipment, one of which contains C/I information for the serving system equipment and 12 of which contain channel measurement adjustment information for the serving system equipment.

11. A method of cell switching in a wireless communication system, the method comprising: at a mobile equipment currently served by a serving system equipment, transmitting a switch frame comprising: coded information in at least one slot of the switch frame, the coded information identifying a particular target system equipment and indicating the mobile's intent to switch from the serving system equipment to the identified target system equipment, and channel measurement adjustment information for the serving system equipment in other slots of the switch frame.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the coded information comprises a bit coded signal in the at least one slot of the switch frame that identifies the target system equipment.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the bit coded signal is coded with a null code that indicates to receiving system equipment that the received frame is a switch frame and that the mobile equipment intends to switch cells.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the bit coded signal indicates to receiving system equipment that the received frame is a switch frame and that the mobile equipment intends to switch cells.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the coded information comprises a signal in the at least one slot of the switch frame, and wherein the signal is coded with a code that indicates to receiving system equipment that the received frame is a switch frame and that the mobile equipment intends to switch cells.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the signal is coded with a null code that indicates to receiving system equipment that the received frame is a switch frame and that the mobile equipment intends to switch cells.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the signal is coded with a cover code associated with the target serving equipment that indicates to receiving system equipment that the received frame is a switch frame and that the mobile equipment intends to switch to the target serving equipment.

18. A method of cell switching in a wireless communication system, the method comprising: at a mobile equipment currently served by a serving system equipment: transmitting non-switch frames to receiving system equipment, the non-switch frames including channel measurement adjustment information for the serving system equipment, and during a time period selected by the mobile equipment, transmitting a switch frame to the receiving system equipment, the switch frame comprising: channel measurement adjustment information for the serving system equipment, and coded information that identifies a particular target system equipment and indicates the mobile equipment's intent to switch from the serving system equipment to the target system equipment.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the coded information comprises a bit coded signal in at least one slot of the switch frame that identifies the target system equipment.

20. The method of claim 18 , wherein the coded information comprises a signal in at least one slot of the switch frame, the signal being coded with a code that indicates to receiving system equipment that the received frame is a switch frame and that the mobile equipment intends to switch cells.